Tesla is well known for its intense product testing, and the company and its customers can attest to how well their cars do while driving through water. 

Tesla, one of the most popular electric car companies, has done vigorous testing on their cars to ensure they are safe while driving through water.

Read on if you’ve ever wondered what customers say about this!

Can Tesla Cars Go Through Water?

Driving through water can be troublesome for any car or truck, as you can never be quite sure how deep a puddle will be. Can becoming submerged in water lead to leakage and damage? 

You may even be more concerned if you add that the car or truck is electric. How would an electric car fare halfway sub-merged in water?

Would it stop working altogether? Would it turn on again?

When it comes to Tesla, you can be sure that they have been rigorously tested to ensure the car works well in the roughest conditions, whether driving through floods or hurricanes. 

While driving through deep water is dangerous and should be avoided, you’ll be happy to know that electric cars do better in water than gas cars. They’re well-sealed and won’t hydro-lock the engine like gas cars. 

While there aren’t that many customers who can attest that the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, is correct when saying their Model S can float as well as a boat thrust forward by wheel rotation, many customers can attest that the cars do well in water. 

How Are They Safe In Water?

Musk has claimed that Tesla cars have completely sealed batteries and that the vehicles are weighted to float for a certain amount of time. In fact, Tesla cars are weighted “like a ship” to keep them afloat. 

When testing the vehicles in water, it’s seen that the cars will float up to the floorboards.

Tesla cars also have double-walled doors in order to minimize the amount of water that can get inside. 

Customers interested in the car’s ability to drive through water have said that all of the information needed on the subject is provided in the Tesla operator’s manual. 

That being said, many customers have claimed that their batteries and other components have been destroyed after going through water. 

Although the model and year of the cars aren’t included in these posts, the year posted seems to be before Elon Musk’s tweet about the Model S being able to turn into a boat, which may mean that cars made before that year were just… not as secure as the ones made after. 

Tesla models made between 2012 and 2013 have been reported to be less-sealed than their successors.

While their batteries were still well-sealed, many have said that their motor and multiple other components were not, so driving through deeper water is not advised. 

How Long Can A Tesla Be In Water?

After seeing people mention Tesla testing their cars in water, you may wonder how deep the vehicles can be and how long they can be there. 

Some customers report that any water above the car’s height can cause damage, and no vehicle should be in the water for longer than it has to be. 

While the cars do well in water for a certain amount of time, their ability to drive through water is considered an emergency feature to be used only when needed. 

Tesla cars are considered perfectly safe to operate when submerged in water, but depending on your model, they may not be considered thoroughly watertight.

This means that although you’ll likely be able to drive through water, there may still be water damage to the circuit boards within your car or the cabin. 

What Damage Can Happen When Driving Through Water?

The amount of damage that can happen to a Tesla can vary greatly depending on the model and year of the car. 

Many customers report that they have gone through water about as high as the parking sensors on their specific model, and the car did great and had no damage.

One customer even reported driving through a flood with the water deep enough to go over the hood with no damage. 

These customers also say that their Tesla did better in these large puddles and floods than other larger cars. 

That being said, other customers report that their batteries have been flooded while going through deep water, and some report that although there was no severe damage, the water pressure caused their rear bumper clips to come undone. 

Another customer has reported that the sealed battery compartment is not perfect.

Now, the recent Hurricane Ian did have some Teslas that burst into flames, check it out.

The customer drove through a 4-6 inch puddle, and while they could get home and fully charge their car, when they went to drive it the day after, they were surprised to see an error message stating they may not be able to turn it back on. 

The customer took the car to a Tesla dealer, who said that the battery got wet and that the main fuse had been exposed to water and was corroded beyond repair. 

The dealer told the customer they had seen it happen thrice within six months. 

Although there are more cases of Tesla cars doing well in water with no damage, there seem to be outliers and certain vehicles that may be a little less sealed than others.

Because of this, it isn’t recommended that anyone drive their Tesla through deep water. 

Final Thoughts: Can Tesla Go Through Water?

Although most models and years of Tesla cars are reported to do better in water than most gas cars, it is still not recommended that they be driven through deep water. 

Tesla cars are made to be able to float through the water when necessary. While exciting, this feature is only for emergencies, such as areas with flooding or hurricanes. 

Despite the number of people saying their cars have not had any problems, many have reported that their vehicles suffered severe damage after driving through water.